PolyBuzz alternatives: 7 apps compared

For the closest app, try Character.AI or Talkie. For many quick chats, try Chai. For one companion who remembers you, try Kindroid or Nomi. For a story with choices, try AI Dungeon. For your characters in a whole town, try LifeSim.

Check the age rules first. Most of these apps are 18+. AI Dungeon and LifeSim are rated 13+.

We checked every fact on this page on October 23, 2026. We list each page that we used at the end. We make LifeSim, so LifeSim is on the list.

PolyBuzz is a character chat app with many characters made by users. Its FAQ says it is free, with Basic and Premium memberships for more features. It runs on the web and on Android.

In October 2026, the PolyBuzz app left the App Store in the US and several other countries. On an iPhone, you can still use polybuzz.ai in the browser.

In PolyBuzz, a character lives in a chat. In LifeSim, the person has a home on a real street, a job, and friends. They remember what you told them, and their friends hear about it.

If you want a new character every night, PolyBuzz fits better. LifeSim is one life that goes on.

You don't have to start from zero. Copy the link of a public character and paste it in the LifeSim builder, under Import a character. LifeSim writes the character as a person in your new life: a name, an age, a job, a past, a life goal, and who they are to you. It draws their looks in its own style.

Your chats and memories stay in PolyBuzz. Sexual content never comes over, because LifeSim is rated 13+. Read how to bring a PolyBuzz character into LifeSim.

Import a character

You pick a city. Any city, on a real map of Earth. You give your character a name and a reason to be there. Then you step out onto a real street, and there are people on it.

They’re not waiting for you. They have jobs to get to, homes to go back to, friends they see on Fridays. Say hi to one of them, in your own words, and they answer in theirs. Tell them something and they keep it. Tell their friend something and it gets around.

By the end of the week you have a place you go in the mornings, someone you’re avoiding, and someone you’re not. One player once stayed for thirteen hours straight. We checked.

LifeSim is a free game, in the browser and on iPhone. No ads and nothing to buy. Season 1 is in beta.

What is the best PolyBuzz alternative?

Character.AI is the closest, with many characters made by users. Talkie is similar, and it has an iPhone app. Kindroid and Nomi are better for one companion.

Is PolyBuzz still on the App Store?

Not in the US, as of October 2026. It still runs on the web at polybuzz.ai and on Android. LifeSim runs in any browser, and it has an iPhone app.

Is there a free PolyBuzz alternative?

Yes. Character.AI, Talkie, Chai, Nomi, and AI Dungeon are free to start, with paid plans. LifeSim is free, with nothing to buy.

Can I bring my PolyBuzz character to LifeSim?

Yes. Copy the link of a public PolyBuzz character and paste it in the LifeSim builder. Read how to bring a PolyBuzz character into LifeSim.

Is there a PolyBuzz alternative for teens?

AI Dungeon and LifeSim are rated 13+. See Character AI alternatives for more apps and their age rules.

• PolyBuzz FAQ
• CompanionHunt: PolyBuzz leaves the App Store
• PolyBuzz on the US App Store, archived October 4, 2026
• Apple lookup for the PolyBuzz app in the US
• PolyBuzz on Google Play
• Character.AI on the App Store
• TechCrunch: Character.AI ends open chat for minors
• Talkie Lab on the App Store
• Talkie
• Chai FAQ
• Chai AI: pricing
• Apple lookup for the CHAI app in the US
• eSafety guide: Chai
• Chai Research: official site
• Kindroid on the App Store
• Kindroid: official site
• Nomi on the App Store
• Nomi: official site
• AI Dungeon on the App Store